Steve Smith, from refugee charity Care4Calais, told the BBC: “In terms of people seeking asylum, the government has a duty, under the Refugee Convention, to house those who would be otherwise destitute.”
He said Crowborough was a “dilapidated old army camp”, adding it would “cost a lot to set up” as accommodation for asylum seekers.
“From my point of view, shovelling people into former barracks is not the best use of money and for those seeking asylum,” said Mr Smith.
He said because many had been through traumatic experiences, including war, detention and modern day slavery, housing them in old barracks was “not the best accommodation for people who had undergone these experiences”.